What are the differences between the production processes of specialty papers and those of ordinary papers?

Plain paper = turning fibers into paper; specialty paper = turning paper into “functional materials.”

Ordinary paper pursuit White, flat, cheap ；

Specialty paper pursuit Waterproof, oil-resistant, high-temperature resistant, insulating, biodegradable, highly breathable and other special properties.

1. The raw materials are different.

Plain paper

Primarily made from wood pulp and recycled paper pulp.

Pursuit Low cost, easy to copy and produce.

Simple, stable, and standardized formulation.

Specialty paper

Use High-purity wood pulp, cotton pulp, synthetic fibers, inorganic fibers Wait

Chang Jia: Ceramic powder, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, flame retardant, reinforcing agent, wet strength agent

Ingredients Precious, refined, and specialized The formulations for different products are completely different.

II. Pulping is different from beating.

Plain paper

Pulping lightly, quickly, and with a focus on yield.

The fibers should be long enough—strength is all that matters.

Specialty paper

Pulping Heavy, refined, controllable

Some need to. Short fiber (Delicate), some require Long fiber (High intensity)

For Evenness, strength, absorbency, surface properties Precise adjustment

3. The papermaking (forming) processes differ significantly.

Plain paper

High-speed machine, pursuit High output, fast speed

Slight variations in thickness and basis weight are permissible.

Specialty paper

Mostly Low-speed, high-precision paper machine

Thickness, basis weight, uniformity, air permeability Extremely strict

Common:

Multi-layer molding

Cross-web papermaking (Making ultra-thin, high-strength paper)

Dry-process papermaking (Such as certain nonwoven specialty papers)

4. Surface Treatment and Coating (the most critical difference)

Plain paper

Simply apply the glue—just make sure it doesn’t bleed through the water and prints well.

Specialty paper

This step is truly the “soul.” ：

Waterproof and oil-resistant coating

High-barrier coating (food packaging)

Release coating (glassine paper / adhesive backing paper)

Thermal coating (thermal paper)

Insulating coating, flame-retardant coating

Multiple coating applications, high-precision coating

Plain paper is “paper”; specialty paper is “paper + coating + functionality.”

5. Post-processing differs.

Plain paper

Cutting and packaging completed.

Specialty paper

Calendering, Super Calendering (High Smoothness)

Molding, solidifying, and drying

Lamination, coating, and lamination/composite

Precision slitting (narrow-width, high-precision)

VI. Quality Control and Thresholds

Plain paper

Few indicators, easy to control.

Low threshold, fierce competition

Specialty paper

The number of indicators is extremely large:
Gram weight, thickness, air permeability, absorbency, wet strength, dry strength, smoothness, glossiness, temperature resistance, insulation, water resistance, oil resistance, peel strength ……

The equipment is expensive, the formulation is complex, and the commissioning period is long.

High technology, high barriers to entry, high gross margins